Motor-controller.



A. J. HORTON.

MOTOR CONTROLLER.

nrmouxox run KAY 4, 190B.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

G 5mm i 'A.J.HORTON. MOTOR CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED HAY4, 1908.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

a sun's-SHEET z.

witnesses vmfg A. J. HORTON.

MOTOR CONTROLLER.

Arrmcumxnmn run, 1908.

Ptented M155, 1912;

3IHEBTS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses iv UNITED s mrns ALBERT J. HORTON, 0F WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNO R T O CUTLER- HAMMER MFG. (30., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AJCQRIOR ATION OF WISCONSIN.

Mo'roncoNrmoLLnR.

Specification of Letters l atent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912,

Application filcd May 4, 1908. Serial No. 430,828,

and useful Improvements in Motor-Con trollers, of \vhiclrthc following is a full,

clear, concise, .and ekact description, refen,

cnc'e being had to the accompanying drawing, -forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in controllers for electric motors, and mo -span ticulnrly to a ut-oi'natic starting devices therelor. 1

Broadly, my invention comprehcnds the employment of a singleclectrorcsponsive de- Vice tt'or successively actuating a number of resistance switches to remove a variable starting resistance from the motor circuit gradually and proportionally to :the building up in speed ottbe motorw v In order to more clearly disclose my in vention Ihave illustratedin the ,accompanying drawings, devices embodying my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa device embodying my invention and showin the circuit arrange: meut therefor, partsot' the device being; shown in section. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.lillustrating parts of the device in different positions. *Fig. 3 illustrates a modified tornrot device embodying my invention. v i

in the embodimentof my invention illustrated, which is a two-step seli sstarter, I provide a pzuu-lor supporting base A upon which the sevc-ralparts of the device are mounted. Anelectrcnmignctic winding or solenoid I is mounted in a frame B,-Wl1ich is suitably iecured to the. pa'ne'l A; ,The winding .l'l provided with a plunger C which 'carricsahits lower end a tail rod E; and at its upper-end a tail rod D. Both of said tail rodsare preferablypartially screw-threatled.' Internally threadedcollars (l, (Vfand ll "are-titted ontogthe screw= thrcadcd'portion 'ofthe tail rod I)' and are 'stationary.contacts 1 and Qniou nted. on the panel A. A diskD is loosely mounted on the tail rod D between the collars d and d said disk being insulated from the tail rod and being adapted to bridge'stationary con' tacts 3. and ft' mounted on the base Aw The disks D. D bridge their respective contacts when the plunger is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig, 1, and in this-p0 sition the collar (it is ata greater distance from the disk D thanthe collar of is froin' the disk D. It will thus be seen that when the core is raised the disk DWvill be raised from contacts 1 and 2 before the di'skD will be raised from contacts?) and 4. The purpose of this arrangement will be hereinafter explained. V i i Adjustably mounted on the tail rod E, adjacent to its lower end, is a switch 6 provided with laminated brushes e -c adapted to engage flattened surfaces on the underside of stationary contacts 5 and 6,*mounted upon the panel A. This switch is insulated from the tail rod E and is supported thereon between nuts 6 and a collar threaded onto the tail rod E and provided with a set-screw 8*. A disk ,6 is loosely mounted ment'itwill be scenthat when the core 0" is raised the disk will bridge contacts 7 and 8 before the switch 6 will bridge contacts 5 and (5. The purpose of this arrangement will be hereinafter explained. To preventthe tail rod E and switch 0 from turn ing, said switch is provided with a projecting pin 6 which slides in a groove e.

formed in an insulating block a secured to the 'lhe winding B provided with a stationary plug F, secured to the ,fira ne. B, for sealin, i the plunger C in its uppermostposition. shown; the plug F is tubular and is provided'with 'a non-may;- netic bushing G, Mouiited'within the plug F and surroundingftliittail rod D is secondary plug: H, The plugl l is freeqtoslide upon the'ta'il rod-D andalso'within the plug G and is prov d at its upper end with an adjustable'collar h bearing upon the plug l G. By adjusting the collar h the plug H may be raised or lowered in the winding B. In practice the plug H is so adjusted as to seal with the plunger C when raised sutfi ciently to remove the first step of the starting resistance.

The circuit arrangement for this device is as follows: The main lines 9 and 10 lead from a suitable source of electrical supply and double pole switch L is provided for closing the main circuit. Contact 5 is connected by conductor 11 to the main line 10. Contact '7 is connected by conductor 12 through a resistance 13 to conductor 11. The contacts 7 and S are connected through resistance 14 and contact 8 is also connected by conductors 15 and 1G to; one terminal of the arn'iature 7c of the motor K. The other terminal of the armature Z: connected to one terminal of the series field winding is, while the other terminal of the field winding k is connected by conductor 17 to the main line 9. Contact (3 is connected by conductor 18 to conductor 16. 782 is a shunt field winding for the motor K connected across the main line by conductors l9 and 20. The winding B is connected across the terminals of the armature 7; and its circuit may be traced from conductor 16 by conductor 21 to contact 4. through resistance Q2 to contact 3 and by conductor '23 to contact 1, thencc throi h resistance it to contact 2 by conductor through winding B and by conductor 26 to the opposite terminal of the arn'iature K7.

in order that the operation or" this device may be more thoriiiughly understood. let it be assumed that the air gap between plunger C and the plug l? in the winding B is so arranged that: a predetermined potential must exist at the terminals of the winding .li hct'orc the same will respond to litt the plunger C to hrii'lgc the contacts '7 and 8. Let it be further HSslllllttl that the tension of the spring c is so regulated that the potential at the terminals oi the winding B must be increased a 'n'cdctcrniincd amount before the plunger C will be raised to bridge the contacts and 3.

The following a description of the operation of this (lcvicc: Assuming that the switch L is closed and that the plunger C is in its lowermost position. as shown in Fig. 1, current will ilow from the main line 10 by conductor ll. through the resistance 1 by conductor 12 to contact. 7, through resistance H- to contact 8. and thence by conductors l5 and 16 through armature k, series field winding 7a to conductor 17 and thence to main line 9. Current will also flow from main line 10, by conductor 20. through the shunt field winding is and by conductors 19 and 1.7 hack to the main line 9. The motor is thus started with all of the starting resistance in circuit. Owing to the fact that there is a large drop in potential across the starting resistance and there is little or no drop across the armature, when the motor is initially started, practically all of the current will fiow through the motor armature and little or no current will flow through the winding B when the motor circuit is first closed. Thus when the motor is initially started the potential at the terminals of the winding P) is not sullicicnt to cause said winding to respond. However, as the armature speeds up it generates a counter-electromotive force which increases proportionally with the building up in speed of the armature. As the connter-elcctro-motive force increases the drop in the potential across the armature increases, while the drop in potential across the starting resistance decreases which results in an increase in potential at the terminals of the winding As soon as a predetermined potential exists at the terminals of the winding B the same will respond and raise the plunger C, causing the disk a to bridge the contacts 7 and S and removing the disk from engagement with contacts 1 and 2. Further movement of the plunger at this time is prevented by the action of the spring a. This position of the plunger C is shown in full lines Fig. 2. In this position the plunger C engages with, and is sealed by, the secondary plug H. The advantage of employing the secondary plug that it decreases the air gap between the plunger C and the plug. and consequently decreases the reluctance of the mag netic circuit, which results in a very strong pull being exerted upon the core C. This causes the disk 0 to be. held firmly against contacts 7 and 8. The use of the secondary plu; ll also tends to cause a halt in the movement of the plunger C when it engages thercwith, as it partially completes the magnctic circuit. Upon further movement of the plunger-C it carries the plug II with it. .\s soon as the disk bridges the contacts 7 and 8 section 14 of the starting resistance is short-circuited, while the removal of the disk D from the contacts 1 and 2 results in the insertion of resistance 24- in the circuit of the winding ll. The motor circuit. may now be traced to contact 7 as previously describcd, thence across disk (2 to contact 8 and by conductors 15 and 16, through the armature l', and series field winding Jr to the opposite side of the main line. The circuit through the winding B may now be traced from cont act. 4 across the disk I) to contact 3, by conductor 23 to contact 1 across resistance 24 to contact 2, and thence through the winding B to the terminal of the armature h. It will thus be seen that more current is now sent through the armature {While the flow of current through-the winding B is decreased. this position until the armature reaches a The plunger C will remain in ture 7c and series field winding 71:

eig ts predetermined speed when-the potential at the terminal of the winding B will be sutliciently increased to cause said winding to overcome the opposition of the spring 0 and raise the plunger C to the position shownin dotted lines, Fig. 2. In this position of the plunger C contacts 5 and 6 are bridged by the switch 6, while the disk D is outof engagementwith the contacts 3 and il. The plunger C engages with and is sealed by the plug F, while the flow of current. through the winding B decreased by the insertion of the resistance 22 to an amount just sulli cient to hold the plunger C in its final position. The contacts 5 and 6 being bridged by the switch c, section 13 of the starting resistance is short-circuited. The motor circuit may now be traced from conductor 11 to contact 5 across switch 0' to contact. (3, and thence by conductor 16 through the armato. the op posite side 0t the main line. When it is desired to stop the motor the switch L may be opened thus opening the circuit through the motor and also opening the circuit through the winding 13, which permits the plunger 0 resistance in the motor circuit so that the motor cannot be again started until the v, starting resistance has been inserted in circuit therewith.

It should be understood that by adjusting the collar (Z on the tail rod D the core (1 may be raised or lowered in the winding B to vary the air gap between it and the plug G and that by means of this adjustment the device may be set to remove the first step of starting resistance at different predetermined times. Also, that by varying the tension of the spring e the device maybe set to remove the second step of starting resistance at predetermined times. Further more, it should be understood that additional 'itchcs may be carried by the core C for controlling additional sections of thestarting resistance and that additional sliding plugs, similar to the plug H, may be employed for sealing the core C upon the removal of each step of starting resistance.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that already described, except that in lieu of the switch 0 a disk M- is substituted which is insulated from the tail rod E and resiliently supported thereon by a coil. spring M. When in its lowest position, the disk M engages stationary contacts 27and 28 mounted upon the base or panel A. Also in this instance instead of mounting two disks upon thetail rod 1), only one disk N is mounted thereon, which is adapted to engage stationary contacts 2-) and 30, mounted upon the panel A. A collar 12, adjustably mounted upon the tail rod D is adapted to lift the disk N from the contacts 29 and 80.

' The circuit arrangement of this construction to fall, thus inserting the starting is substantially the'sai'ne as that already .de-

scribed with the exception that in this instance the conductor 21 extends from conductor 16 to contact 28-, through resistance to contact 27 and thence to contact 29, 7

sistance 14 and at. the same time lifts the disk M from. the contacts 27 and 28, thus inso 24 in circuit in series with the winding 13, and upon further movement of the plunger the disk M is brought into engagement with contacts 5 and 6, thus sci-ting resistance short circuiting the resistance 13 andthe disk N is lifted by the collar N from the contacts 29 and 30, this inserting the resist ance 22 in circuit with the winding B.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure-by Le'tters Patent, is:

1.. In a controlling device for electric Inotors, the con'lbination with a resistance, of a plural ty of switches for controlling said resistance, an electroresponsive device for closing said switches to gradually remove said resistance from the motor circpit propor tionally to the building up in speed of the motor, and means for automatically reducing the flow of current through responsive device upon closure of one of said switches and further reducing the flow of current through said device upon the closure of another of said switches.

2. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with a resistance, of a plurality of switches for controlling the same, an electromagnetic device for succcssively closing said switches to gradually remove said resistance from the motor circuit proportionally to the building up in speed of the motor, a plurality of sections of resistance adapted to be inserted in circuit with said electromagnetic device and means for inserting one of said sections of resistance in circuit upon the closure of each of said switches.

3. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with a plurality of sections of resistance, switches for controlling the same, an electroresponsive device for closing said switches successively to gradually remove said sections of resistance proportionally to the building up in speed for automatically reducing the amount of current flowing through said electro-responsive device upon the closure of one of said switches and further reducing the flow of current therethrough upon closure of an- 130 same as that already de- 6,15

said eleetro- 100 of a plurality of of the -motor, means other of said switches, and means for regulating the closure of said switches to permit the motor to attain any predetermined speed prior to the closure of each of said switches.

4. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with a plurality of sections of resistance, of a plurality of switches for controlling the same, an electromagnetic device for successively closing said switches to gradually remove said resistance from the motor circuit proportionally to the building up in speed of the motor, means for regulating the closure of said switches to permit the motor to attain any predetermined speed prior to the closure of each of said switches, resistance adapted to be inserted in circuit with said electromagnetic device and means for inserting a portion of said latter resistance in circuit upon the closure of each of said switches.

5. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic winding, a plunger mounted within said winding, a plurality of resistance switches mechanically connected to and arranged to be successively closed by said plunger, a plurality of sections of starting resistance controlled by said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said plunger to close said switches upon the motor attaining predetermined speeds, said switches upon successive operation being adapted to gradually increase the mechanical load upon said plunger.

6. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic winding, a plunger mounted within said winding, a. plurality of switches ar' ranged to be successively closed by said plunger, a plurality of sections of starting resistance controlled by said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said plunger to close said switches upon the motor attaining predetermined speeds, and means for regulating the closure of said switches to permit. the, motor to attain any predetermined speed prionto the closure of each of said switches.

7. In a motor controlling device, the combination, with anelectromagnetic winding, of a stationary core and a movable core mounted therein, a plurality of. switches carried by said plunger, certain of said switches being resiliently supported thereon, a plurality of sections of resistance controlled by said switches, said winding being adapted to actuate said movable core to close said switches at predetermined speeds of the motor, means for adjusting one of said cores relative to the other to vary the air gap between the same, and means for varying the interval between the operation of consecutive switches.

8. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic winding, of a plunger mounted within said winding, a plurality of resist ance switches arranged to be successively closed by said plunger, a plurality of sections of starting resistance controlled by said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said. plunger to close said switches at predetermined speeds of the motor, a resistance adapted to be connected in circuitwith said winding and means operated upon the closure of the last switch for inserting said latter resistance in circuit.

9. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic winding, a plurality of resistance switches arranged to be successively closed by said plunger, a plurality of sections of starting resistance controlled by said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said plunger to close said switches at predetermined speeds of the motor, a plurality of sections of resistance adapted to be connected in circuit with said winding and means operated upon the closure of each of said resistance switches for inserting a section of said latter resistance in circuit.

10. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic winding. of a plunger mounted within said winding. a plurality of resistance switches carried by said plunger and arranged to be closed successively, a pluralit-y of sections of starting resistance controlled by said switches. a stationary plug mounted within said winding for sealing said plunger in its final position. a movable plug mounted within said winding t'or scaling said plunger in an intermediate position upon the closure of one of said switches. said winding being adapted to operate. said plunger to close said switches at predetcrmined speeds of the motor.

11. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnctic winding. ol :1 plunger adustabl mounted within said winding. a plurality of resistance switches adustably mounted on said plunger and arranged to be closed successively, a plurality of sections ot starting resistance controlled by said switches, a stationary plug mounted within said wind ing for sealing said plunger in its final position, a movable plug mounted within said winding for sealing said plunger in an intermediate position upon the closure of cer tain of said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said plunger to close said switches at any predetermined speeds of the motor.

12in a controlling device for electric motors. the combination with an electromagnetic winding, of a plunger mounted within said winding, a plurality of resistance switches carried by said plunger. a plurality of sections of starting resistance .plug mounted within said controlled by said switches, ing adapted to operate said said switches successively mined speeds of the motor, other switches carried by said plunger and arranged to be operated successively, sections of resistance controlled by said latter switches adapted to be inserted in circuit with said winding when said latter switches are operated.

13. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electro magnetic winding, of a plunger adustably mounted within said winding, a plurality of resistance switches carried by said plunger and arranged to be closed successively, certain of said switches being resiliently and adjustably supported thereon, a plurality of sections of starting resistance controlled-by said switches, a stationary plug for sealing said plunger in its final position, a movable plunger to close ing said plunger-in an intermediate position upon the closure of said switches, said winding being adapted to operate said plunger, to close said switches at predetermined speeds of the motor.

said winding be- I and at, prede'ter:

winding for sea1- f 14. In a controlling device for electric motors, the combination with an electromagnetic Winding, of a plunger mounted therein, a plurality of resistance switches carried by said plunger and arranged to be closed successively, a pluralit of sections of starting resistance contro led by 'said switches, other switches carried by said plunger, and arranged to be operated successively, other sections of resistance controlled by said latter switches, said wind ing being adapted to operate said plunger to close said resistance switches successively at predetermined speeds of the motor and switches to insert a section of sai ast mentioned resistance in circuit with said winding upon the closure of each of said resistance switches. In Witness whereof, .I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. a

ALBERT J HORTON. Witnesses:

W. C. MARGESEN,

BEATRICE MInvr- '40 to simultaneously operate the last n entioned 

